Cécile Derycke

Clients praise her "strategic thinking" and "commanding presence in court"

Who's Who Legal Life Sciences 2015

Passionate about litigation, human beings and science, Cécile Derycke has grown a practice focused on disputes in the life sciences area.

Cécile coordinates our Paris Life Sciences Group and is the Co-Head of our global Life Sciences Disputes Team. She joined Hogan Lovells more than fifteen years ago as a general litigator and product liability lawyer. Hand in hand with our regulatory team, she has built the Life Sciences Group of our Paris office.

Cécile handles product liability cases, commercial litigation matters and various contentious situations involving regulatory requirements. She has particular experience in multi-jurisdiction bodily injury cases and the cross-border coordination of such cases. She is handling the largest product liability case ever brought before the French civil courts in terms of number of plaintiffs.

An "excellent strategist and a refined and persistent courtroom lawyer" (Legal 500 Healthcare and Life Sciences 2016), Cécile is commended "for her reputed practice focusing on the defence of pharmaceutical products", "a go-to expert in France" and a "very skilled lawyer who is an expert in pharmaceuticals" (Who's Who Legal Product Liability Defence/Life Sciences 2017).

Cécile works every day on complex legal, procedural and media issues raised by such matters. She has also developed a very sharp understanding of the class actions mechanisms which are spreading over Europe, including France.

Cécile's close connections with our regulatory team and her deep knowledge of the life sciences industry have also made her a key player in litigious matters involving regulatory issues. She very often advises our clients on their interactions with the health authorities regarding pricing and reimbursement, product safety, etc. In particular, Cécile assists our clients in connection with inspections and decisions from the health authorities. She also works on promotional subjects either raised by the authorities or by competitors.

Awards and recognitions

2018

Band 1 in Healthcare and Life SciencesChambers Europe

2018

Industry Focus: Healthcare and Life Sciences, Leading IndividualLegal 500 EMEA

2018

Leading individual in Commercial LitigationLegal 500 EMEA

2018

"Best in Product Liability" for the third year consecutively at the Europe Women in Business Law AwardsEuromoney